ANALYSIS: As ‘Shanghai Spirit’ sweeps Central Asia, is the Middle East noticing?

Addressing the 17th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in
Astana earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping said something
that goes into the core of the organization’s stated objectives.

“Firmly
committed to the Shanghai Spirit, SCO member states are making solid
progress on the road of building a community of shared future, thus
establishing a fine example of the new type of international relations
featuring win-win cooperation”, he said.

Considering
what has been going on with the NATOs, EU and the GCCs of this world,
this “new type of international relations” looks destined for greater
accomplishments.

Jinping also made a
much-anticipated announcement during the summit. “Today we are going to
admit India and Pakistan as new member states of the SCO,” he said. This
inclusion means that the SCO now encompasses nearly half of the world
population and a combined GDP that, according to one estimate, is over 25 percent of global GDP.

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